“Tuition fees in American Universities, hit (and often pierce) the roof. Ivy League schools are generally ranked amongst the best universities worldwide and usually accept a tiny percentage of international students. So what would happen if an Italian girl, in her early twenties, from a small unknown town, got accepted by one of these colleges, but couldn’t be able to afford it?” (Cit. Chiara Spagnoli “My New York Eye” May 17, 2015)

My name is Federica, and that’s me they are talking about above. I am currently a Creative Producing student at Columbia University’s School of the Arts and the way I made it in this prestigious Film Program says a lot about who I am, what I can do and how vital this opportunity is for my future. I come from a humble Italian family who has always supported my dreams, but could not help me financially pursue my higher education. When I was admitted to Columbia, I was a waitress in Italy, having just returned from a year in the United States as an au pair. Knowing that I could not fund my graduate education on waitressing tips, I started a crowdfunding campaign taking advantage of the communication skills I’ve mastered through my undergraduate degree in Communication Media and Advertising. I wrote hundreds of letters, gave interviews to local and national media and spoke at conferences about my desire to attend graduate school in the U.S. It was a challenging experience because I had to face national media exposure, go through harsh judgments and humiliating critics while managing to remain focused on my goal. I was offered a scholarship but still did not have enough money. Eventually, I wrote to the CEO of a well-known Italian company who used to come to the pizza place where I waitressed. He agreed to meet me and after our conversation, decided to help finance my first year tuition.

A friend of mine said my creativity had come to my rescue; others talked about luck. I don’t believe in luck. Rather, I believe in the motivation to fight for one’s dreams and I like to think that I’m just the kind of person who gets more motivated when people discourage me by saying “you can’t”. I just couldn’t let such an amazing opportunity slip away. Films have always dared me to dream big and made me eager to try, and this fueled my determination during the campaign. I also had the support of my amazing family. Despite of all our economic problems, my parents never discouraged me to continue my studies. They are my heroes, the source of my strength, and my efforts’ meaning. They taught me the value of sacrifice and the beauty of humility. I think that these are ultimately the values I wish to pass along as a filmmaker. I want to inspire people who struggle in order to realize their dreams, and I want to champion these principles.

My goal is to help transform the proud, long-held Italian film tradition into a renewed industry that is able to create employment as well as film literacy. Unfortunately, younger generations in Italy lack basic movie knowledge, and few consider filmmaking a legitimate career. This idea is fed by people who maintain a “With culture, you don’t get to eat”, a notion that upsets me personally. I believe that change in our cultural attitudes comes out of schools and universities, through new generations inspired by motivated people. A producer’s duty, aside from being a creative entrepreneur and generating profit, is to positively influence future generations by caring about important issues that affect the audience. That is the kind of producer I aspire to become, by applying the methods I’m learning at Columbia to achieve my long-term goal of creating a more sustainable film industry in Italy.

At Columbia I have been translating my passion for film into actual skills by participating in a dozen short film productions, in several capacities. This includes budgeting, scheduling, pitching ideas, directing, working with actors, and line producing, as well as structuring a dramatic narrative for effective storytelling. I have also mastered editing and, above all, I’ve learned the importance of collaboration.

I want my films to serve the community by rising critical issues that the generic public and audience need to think about, because conversations lead to movement, and movement lead to change. I want to produce films that will serve as a catalyst for inspired thoughts, films that will endorse the power of imagination, the courage to take risks and the value of ideas. My ultimate career goal is to make movies that affect people’s consciences and make them think critically. I believe it’s possible to transform the world by telling stories, and the producer’s role is essential because he/she discerns them. I have no doubt that the skills and sensibility I have developed through my life experiences, married with my persistence in the face of challenges, my determination and enthusiasm, will make me a good producer.

Even though I’m proud of having worked hard last year to raise about $80,000 for my education, I still need help to reach my goal and graduate. Now that my schooling is underway, it is more important than ever that I raise the funds necessary to continue. Storytelling is absolutely critical to society. That’s why I ask you to invest in me. Stories are important for people to tell and to hear and my aspiration is to make this possible. Please consider assisting me on my journey, as so many others have. It won’t just help me fulfill my dream; it will hopefully inspire other young people to follow theirs.

Amount needed by December 2016 = $ 32.000Website takes the 7.9% off each donation =$2.500

TOTAL NEEDED $ 34.500 = EURO 32.000(15 K for Tuition and 17 K for Living Expenses)

I've applied to other scholarships and I'm sending the letter to all possible foundations out there and it will be my responsibility to add those funds as offline donations to keep the meter updated.

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON'T REACH THE GOAL? The website allows me to keep the donations even if the goal is not reached. I intend to refund each donor if I don't manage to gather the amount of money needed to fund my next year of education. The amount refunded will be 7.9% less because the percentage the website keeps is not refundable.